PhD student in Sonification Research
(Audio Engineering/ Climate Science)
Applications are invited for a postgraduate student to join the Institute for Electronic Music and Acoustics
(IEM, http://iem.kug.ac.at) at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz for the FWF funded project
SysSon – A systematic procedure to develop sonifications.
The goal of SysSon is the systematic development of sonifications - from finding sound metaphors and creating
a ‘sound library’ to aesthetic/ scientific evaluation and finally the sonification tool ‘ClAudio-Climate Audio’. The
procedure is developed with and tested on data from Climate Science. Main researchers of the project (and
supervisors of the PhD) are R. Höldrich and K. Vogt at IEM, where the PhD student will be based. Cooperation
partners are the Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change (www.wegcenter.at) and the Center for
Systematic Musicology (www.uni-graz.at/en/muwi99ww).
The PhD will comprise the application of the procedure to data from climate science: handling data
compatibility issues, sound synthesis, co-development of evaluation test design, finalizing of ClAudio, and
supporting of sound installation.
The position is available from 1st February 2012 and financial support is guaranteed for 2 ½ years (an
additional half year of support for writing up the thesis is envisaged). Salary will be paid according to
www.fwf.ac.at („Personalkostensätze“ – „DoktorandIn“).
The closing date for applications is 25th December 2011. (Skype) interviews are planned for January.
Female applicants are preferentially considered in case of equal qualification.
We expect:
· A Master’s degree in audio engineering and electrical engineering or computer science or similar, who
have a solid scientific background in acoustics, sound synthesis and auditory perception. An
additional background in sciences (physics/ climate science) is beneficial. Candidates about to earn
their degree are welcome to apply.
· Familiarity with programming languages (either SuperCollider3 or Pure Data; plus other programs
such as Max MSP, MATLAB, etc.) is a precondition.
· High motivation for interdisciplinary and application-oriented work and a special interest for
sonification research.
· An integrative and cooperative personality.
· Very good communication skills in English.
We offer:
· A top-level research environment at the edge of technology and the arts; the IEM is considered to be
Austria’s leading research institution in the field of audio engineering with the three research areas
Artistic Research, Signal Processing and Acoustics, and Computer Music (including sonification).
· Efficient supervision by an interdisciplinary team of supervisors, strong communication and
interaction between the involved institutions.
· The location in Graz – a city of five universities (two are involved in SysSon) and cultural capital of
Europe 2003, hosting internationally renowned festivals such as steirischer herbst and Elevate.
Please send your applications (in English or German) to vogt@iem.at including:
· letter of motivation or résumé
· CV
· copy of relevant university diplomas
· a short exposé (1-2 pages) on a previous project related to audio engineering, sonification or similar
(sound examples –or their links- are welcome)